Heating a brewery

[DCBC]

I hope this is the right place to post this. It is I think technically about equipment.

My brewery is a modified garden office with a cold water supply and electrics. It has double glazing and insulated walls and it has, so far, managed to maintain about 2oC even when it has been -6 outside. I don’t think there is a particular risk to the pipework during a cold snap but I suppose I have to assume it is possible, especially if we get an extended spell of cold weather. I also want to be able to get an on-demand water heater and these cannot be installed anywhere there is a danger of sub-zero temperatures.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with a low power, electrically powered heater that crucially can be plugged into a timer or an Inkbird or similar and left unattended. I know it’s really hard to recommend any such solution as ‘safe’ from a fire safety perspective but there must be something, I’m thinking reptile tank heat lamps etc, which I guess are specifically designed to be able to be left to their own devices.

As I say, I don’t need the heater to be particularly powerful, just powerful enough to be able to heat a small space (around 4x5m with a low ceiling) to a few degrees above freezing, either on a timer or a temperature probe, with minimal risk of catching fire. Does anyone have any ideas?

One step further would be to take advantage of the fact that it’s a small, well-insulated space and to consider heating the entire space to a set temperature so that I can use the whole brewery as a temperature controlled chamber in winter (and maybe just brew hefes or kveik in summer!) but this may be taking things too far : )

Any advice greatly appreciated! Cheers

 

[An Ankoù]

This what your looking for?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-G...&pf_rd_p=84a1b821-b7a6-5308-a34f-f360c22c91a3
or trhis?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunhouse-S...&pf_rd_p=84a1b821-b7a6-5308-a34f-f360c22c91a3

 

[DCBC]

This what your looking for?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-G...&pf_rd_p=84a1b821-b7a6-5308-a34f-f360c22c91a3
or trhis?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunhouse-S...&pf_rd_p=84a1b821-b7a6-5308-a34f-f360c22c91a3

Hmm, worth a try for sure! I particularly like the look of the second one. Thanks

 

[Petrolhead]

Another cheap option depending on the layout is to simply drain down the system if you aren't using it especially if the layout suits a simple drain point.

Also worth looking at trace heating as simple kits are fairly cheap.

However, after all that I would probably install a simple electrical greenhouse heater.

 

[Stevieboy]

I use an oil filled radiator in my shed - leave it to click in and out all winter long. Cheap and reliable.

 

[Druncan]

I agree with @Petrolhead look at race heating cables; https://www.traceheatinguk.co.uk/self-regulating-trace-heating-cable They are used to frost protect O/S pipes. Just fit on a separate circuit with a good RCD? and possibly a fish tank max min thermometer in there with an alarm if it goes below the minimum?

I am terrified of electric heaters left on unsupervised. I am a volunteer fire fighter (on sick leave) and seen some results of problems. I also do out PAT testing for our place and have failed plenty electrical kit,, mechanical failure of solenoid contacts arcing or pest incursion, debris build up and even just kamikaze bugs falling inside. I used to do consumer electric blanket safety surveys at one point in my life,,, scary.
Maybe drain down and stay safe

 

[Richie_asg1]

I would go with tube heaters. Plenty are made for greenhouses and wet areas, and as they are completely enclosed and low wattage they are about the safest to be left unattended.
Fix them low on the walls and they should be nicely out of the way so you can sweep and mop under them.

You can use them with plug-in thermostats or you can fit dedicated fused spurs for them and use a normal room thermostat. Bear in mind rats like to eat cables so it is worth the spend on plastic conduit- fixed or flexible.

If you suspect very cold weather it would be better to drain down the water system and use an alternative for the duration. You have to weigh up costs of keeping the thing heated for the entire winter vs a few hours of use during that time.

If you do use a paraffin or gas heater then consider the space off limits as it will fill up with carbon monoxide and CO2, and use up all available oxygen. If you walked in there and closed the door to check on it you could be dead very quickly.

 

[DCBC]

Thanks everyone for the really helpful advice. It looks as if a low wattage tube heater is probably the safest bet, just to take the edge off the chill during really cold spells with minimum fire risk.

I appreciate the warnings about electrical and fire safety, and I err this way anyway - I'm naturally risk averse when it comes to any investment! I might be able to drain the system but not completely, I think. There is no handy drain-off point but the pipework is mostly underground and protected where it comes out of the ground by armaflex lagging. It is MDPE plastic until it comes into the unit itself, where it connects to metal pipework. I should only need to drain it by as much volume as there is exposed pipe, which isn't very much.

I have a tiny tube heater which I use in my fermentation chamber so I might get it out on a really cold day when I can keep an eye on it and see how much of a difference it makes to the overall temperature.

An advantage to heating the unit, of course, would be that some of the heat might radiate down into the pipes, or the void underneath the unit, and help protect it further.

Thanks again!